WWE Conflict in Paris predictions preview: Is there any means Seth Rollins truly loses?

WWE Conflict in Paris, the ultimate PLE of WWE’s Peacock period, takes place Sunday on the Paris La Défense Area in France. It marks the primary main WWE occasion since our inaugural two-night SummerSlam earlier this month and options World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, John Cena and Roman Reigns on the cardboard.

As standard, Kel Dansby, Robert Jackman, Drake Riggs and Anthony Sulla-Heffinger — the Uncrowned Horsemen — have gathered to dissect the occasion’s storylines, speculate on the aftermath and make predictions for every match on the cardboard.

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Let’s leap proper into it.

1. Assuming WWE is retaining the World Heavyweight Championship on Seth Rollins, who ought to take the pin within the Deadly 4-Approach match?

Riggs: I am going to inform you who it should not be, and that is LA Knight, who received shamefully pinned by Bron Breakker on Monday evening.

For actual, what is occurring with this man proper now? It virtually appears like an enormous rib at this level. He is gotten screwed left and proper since Cash Within the Financial institution season, and there are not any indicators of it slowing down. Here is to hoping for a shock victory.

Alright, again on monitor, I might love for it to be Jey Uso, however it’s going to certainly be CM Punk so the perpetually feud with Rollins can proceed and inch towards their much-needed trilogy. (Ideally, with out the title on the road.)

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Sulla-Heffinger: I’m going to agree with Drake right here and say Jey Uso must be the one to take the pin. Drake alluded to this in his “Uncooked” recap this week — Uso’s rematch clause with Seth Rollins doesn’t make whole sense contemplating he misplaced the World Heavyweight Championship to Gunther, plus this three-way dance between Rollins, Punk and LA Knight screwing each other out of the title is essentially the most enthralling factor for future reserving, in my view. Think about Knight and Punk as the ultimate two within the males’s Royal Rumble come January, with a shot towards Rollins at WrestleMania on the road? Epic.

I can also’t shake Uso’s proximity to Reigns in latest weeks. I feel there’s extra to return from this story and probably a shakeup in Uso’s motivations and presentation.

Jackman: You understand, for a man who can fortunately cross time on an extended flight nerding out over Cagematch statistics, I by no means pay that a lot consideration to who takes the pin in these sorts of matches.

I suppose it is smart in a triple risk when you could have somebody successful with out pinning the dominant champion or no matter, however I’m unsure it is as essential when the query is who takes the pin for a champion everyone knows goes to retain.

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In fact, WWE tends to suppose this stuff by way of fastidiously, so in that case, I’d say that the strife between Jey Uso and CM Punk on “Uncooked” looks like precisely the form of factor that may develop into vital on the evening. I predict that a type of will finish taking place for the rely after one other mishap or distraction. I keep on with my authentic level although: I feel we’ll have forgotten who it was by the point of the following PLE.

Dansby: Seth ought to maintain the title, no query. Drake’s proper — the one who makes essentially the most sense to eat the pin is Mr. Yeet, Jey Uso. He’s a former champ so the loss doesn’t damage him, and it opens the door for The Usos to reunite as a tag staff. That means Seth vs. CM Punk stays the primary story popping out of Conflict in Paris, and LA Knight doesn’t proceed to lose steam.

2. Right here’s a wild one — with Brock Lesnar looming for John Cena, ought to WWE flip Logan Paul babyface within the aftermath of this match?

Sulla-Heffinger: Am I going full galaxy mind with the creation of this query and my reply? Sure! However that is fantasy reserving so let’s do it.

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Except Lesnar will get concerned throughout the match, there’s no possible way I see Cena dropping right here. I feel Paul and Cena placed on an excellent match the place the 17-time champion is pushed to his limits and we get a post-match handshake provide. Paul initially declines, Lesnar’s music hits and he begins to brutalize Cena as Paul walks up the ramp. Then, Paul has a change of coronary heart and saves Cena from Lesnar, turning him semi-babyface within the course of.

Assuming Lesnar is again for the lengthy haul, he’s going to want somebody to go up towards past the Cena retirement run tour. No matter how you’re feeling about both, Paul vs. Lesnar is a big-money match and also you’ll get followers who need to see each males win with my maybe-crazy reserving.

Jackman: Oh come on, Logan Paul is about one of many few convincing heels they really have today. Certain, a few of that is likely to be right down to reputable antagonism from elements of the fan base, however isn’t that how profitable heels have all the time operated? Individuals don’t like him and he wears it properly.

It helps that Logan is fairly spectacular on the mic too, notably with regards to ribbing different wrestlers. I’m not a lot a fan of his potshots on the crowd (I felt the entire “you’re all poor” angle from earlier within the 12 months was dumb and uninspired) however when the writers have him throw barbs on the expertise, he normally lands each blow completely. Why would anybody need to danger that by turning him babyface?!

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Dansby: Not an opportunity.

Logan Paul works as a result of he’s cocky, boastful, and straightforward to hate. The gang doesn’t need to cheer him, and forcing it could flop tougher than heel Cena ever did. His promos and matches thrive on him being the dangerous man, and that’s precisely the place he ought to keep.

Riggs: No, and I am not even certain how they’d. Paul is as pure a heel because it will get, and I do not suppose there is a approach to get followers behind him exterior of catching some form of restoration lightning in a bottle like WWE did with Charlotte Aptitude and Alexa Bliss.

Paul is irredeemably caught in his dangerous man place, and in the event you recall, it initially felt like WWE wished him to be a face, which was a tone-deaf and out-of-touch viewpoint.

3. That is technically going to occur after Conflict in Paris, however who ought to Stephanie Vaquer face for the vacant Girls’s World Championship?

Jackman: Are we working from the belief that Vaquer is unquestionably successful the world title? In that case, there’s an actual talent to selecting these names who’re large enough to take the loss with out struggling any harm. This 12 months’s dropping King/Queen of the Ring finalists (particularly Randy Orton and Asuka) have been each glorious examples of that phenomenon. Actually, would Asuka be keen to take one other L, as she’d be excellent for this?

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Alternatively, in the event that they need to double dip and use this match as an opportunity to additional another storylines, then I’m wondering if Roxanne Perez can be a sensible choice? There’s clearly some inner rivalries throughout the Judgment Day as to who can cling onto gold and who can’t, so having her fail to win the Girls’s World Championship may very well be one thing that Liv Morgan picks up on when she comes again and the 2 inevitably find yourself at loggerheads.

Dansby: Bianca Belair is the proper name. She’s the most effective on the roster and might immediately give Vaquer a big-time match that feels worthy of the title.

Plus, Bianca’s messy historical past with Naomi leaves room for future drama after the very fact.

Riggs: Iyo Sky makes essentially the most sense, contemplating their historical past and pair of fantastic matches that have been ruined by sickeningly dangerous DQ finishes. Thanks for getting me labored up with this query, Anthony.

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Nonetheless, it does not appear like it will likely be Sky, contemplating the continuation of the “Rhiyo” saga involving Rhea Ripley. I’ve talked about Bayley and Lyra Valkyria the previous two weeks, however there’s clearly one thing nonetheless brewing with them and Bayley’s impending evolution. Logically, it additionally would not make sense for them to enter a world title match off losses in a decrease title’s scene. Bianca Belair, relying on her standing, might be the simplest to excuse merely based mostly on her standing, regardless of her absence since WrestleMania 41. Liv Morgan can be in an analogous boat.

It may not have the identical zing as no matter may very well be mustered up, however I am simply going to throw out Lash Legend due to how Vaquer earned her title shot. That is a straightforward, fast feud to do with the restricted time, and Legend was the star of that Battle Royal anyway.

Sulla-Heffinger: All of Drake’s choices can be very robust picks, however I’m going with a fair larger shock than Lash Legend.

Sol Ruca.

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Ruca and Vaquer have transient historical past in NXT, and with rumors swirling that she’s near a main-roster call-up, this looks like a great alternative. Vaquer must be the following WWE Girls’s World Champion, however you possibly can wager that she and Ruca will placed on a terrific match that must be the primary occasion on “Uncooked” Monday.

4. Are we overlooking Nikki Bella as a reputable challenger for Becky Lynch’s Girls’s Intercontinental Championship?

Sulla-Heffinger: As a lot as this feud appeared to not be wanted when it began, these two veterans have finished a very good job in constructing it into one thing that feels PLE-worthy.

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Bella successful right here can be a pleasant accomplishment for her already Corridor of Fame profession, however for the long-term well being of the Girls’s Intercontinental title, Lynch ought to stroll out of Paris with the strap.

Contemplating Lynch has overwhelmed Maxxine Dupri and theoretically will beat Bella on Sunday, a showdown with Natalya seems to be on the horizon. With a lot historical past tied to the lads’s Intercontinental title, wouldn’t an superior chapter be Natalya vs. Lynch doubtlessly mirroring what Bret Hart and “Stone Chilly” Steve Austin did at WrestleMania XIII?

Riggs: In all probability. I am not anticipating Bella to win. That stated, there is a path right here that builds upon the final query.

Have Bella dethrone Lynch, main the latter to weasel her means into an superior pairing with Vaquer.

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Hell, I could have simply talked myself into that concept, as a result of Lynch has been on hearth these days and that match is a assured banger.

Jackman: I’m virtually hesitant to make any predictions for this explicit belt given how sure I used to be that Lyra Valkyria was going to win again the title at SummerSlam. It’s a type of uncommon examples when all the pieces appeared to be in place for that taking place, and as a substitute we had the rug pulled from beneath us on the final minute (or I definitely did anyway).

In her protection, Becky Lynch has been completely on hearth with this heel run and it appears like WWE determined upfront they’re going to stay with this explicit character makeover — not like, say, R-Reality — provided that they shelled out the rights for that gnarly new theme music. Given these circumstances, I can’t see why they’d need to undermine one thing that’s working so properly by having her lose the belt.

So sure, that’s it: I’m completely sure Becky Lynch is retaining on Sunday and won’t even entertain anybody who argues in any other case (he says, spoken with all the arrogance of a person who has not mirrored on his earlier errors for even a minute).

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Dansby: Nikki’s return has been enjoyable, however she’s not beating Becky. This title run is about Lynch making the belt matter, and a nostalgia win doesn’t do this.

Bella brings star energy, however Lynch retains the gold.

5. An unreal title reign made Roman Reigns into the star he’s as we speak. Is he formally larger than the Undisputed WWE Championship or World Heavyweight Championship?

Dansby: Completely. Reigns is on his personal degree now.

His reign (pun meant) was so lengthy and dominant that even with out a title, he nonetheless feels just like the man. Watching him hover across the main-event scene with no need the belt is likely to be much more fascinating than when he had it.

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Riggs: It certain looks like it. Reigns is undeniably an attraction wrestler at this level, and that is highlighted purely by the truth that any time he seems on weekly TV, it is labeled “a return.”

Nah, man. That is not how that works until you are a part-timer.

That is Reigns for you. There are simple methods to get him into both title image, and I like the thought of him going for the World Heavyweight Championship, however it’s not essential by any means.

Sulla-Heffinger: I definitely suppose so. Reigns will all the time be there as a “break glass in case of emergency” champion possibility, however the previous 12 months and a half have confirmed that he’s simply as huge of a draw with out WWE’s prime championships as he was with them.

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It’s humorous, Undertaker seemingly handed the torch to Reigns at WrestleMania 33 — and now, eight years later, Reigns has entered that Undertaker degree with regards to being on the prime of the cardboard.

Jackman: I feel WWE regards him as larger than the World Heavyweight title, and so they might be proper. The issue for me, although, is that they haven’t actually discovered him any suitably huge rivalries or storylines since he dropped the belt on that fateful 2024 evening in Philadelphia.

I’m not a complete hater on his huge feud with Solo Sikoa, however I feel even Rikishi himself would admit that it dragged on a bit lengthy. What number of iterations on the Bloodline tag match did they offer us earlier than we truly received to the inevitable “civil battle” match at Survivor Collection final 12 months?

What Reigns actually wants is an enormous singles feud that gives you the blockbuster match that might justifiably fundamental occasion at a present like this. Assuming WWE is retaining Rollins vs. Reigns up their sleeves for a future WrestleMania (as Paul Heyman steered on “The Ariel Helwani Present” a number of weeks in the past) then Bron Breakker is that man.

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Sunday’s match is a superb amuse-bouche, however it is not the true providing simply but.

Predictions:

• World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Jey Uso vs. LA Knight vs. CM Punk

• Girls’s Intercontinental Championship: Becky Lynch (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Nikki Bella

• Roman Reigns (Jackman, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Bronson Reed (Dansby, Riggs)

• John Cena (Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Logan Paul (Dansby — Lesnar interference)

• Good Ol’ Customary Donnybrook: Sheamus (Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Rusev (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs)

2025 standings

• Anthony Sulla-Heffinger: 31-25